{"id":4748,"date":"2017-11-04T15:53:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-04T15:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/?p=4748"},"modified":"2017-11-04T15:53:04","modified_gmt":"2017-11-04T15:53:04","slug":"where-nightmares-come-from-so-you-want-to-be-a-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/where-nightmares-come-from-so-you-want-to-be-a-writer\/","title":{"rendered":"WHERE NIGHTMARES COME FROM: So You Want to be a Writer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you itching and burning with ideas for your next story? Would you rather start that new novel than get medical help for the itching and burning? Are you obsessed with adverbs? Today we cover style, genre and creative writing in an extensive interview with author Tim Waggoner,<\/span><\/strong><\/span> who joins us to talk about his art and craft. A forthcoming book from Crystal Lake Publishing, Where Nightmares Come From: The Art Of Storytelling In The Horror Genre<\/em>, focuses on the art of storytelling, taking an idea from conception to making it a reality. Tim is one of the contributors, and we let John Linwood Grant<\/strong> loose on him…<\/p>\n

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Waggoner on Writing<\/h1>\n

Tim Waggoner grew up in the Dayton, Ohio, area, and is the author of numerous novels, three short story collections, and over one hundred published stories in the Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller genres. He\u2019s a professional author who also currently works as a professor of English and coordinator of creative activities at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Having enjoyed his work (and having published him in our Occult Detective Quarterly<\/em> magazine), I asked him for some thoughts on the whole business.<\/p>\n

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John:<\/strong> <\/em>Thanks for joining us on greydogtales<\/i>, Tim. The main excuse for talking to you today is the forthcoming collection of essays and interviews, Where Nightmares Come From<\/i>, but I\u2019d like to start by asking a little about your own career and approach to writing, so bear with me. Firstly, you\u2019re a professor of English and coordinator of creative activities as well as a professional writer. Was the teaching a deliberate parallel development, complementary to your writing, or one of those things that just happened?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> It was deliberate. When I was an undergrad, and already dedicated to becoming a professional writer, I couldn\u2019t believe how little my English professors \u2013 including the creative writers \u2013 knew about publishing. I decided then that I wanted to become a college writing teacher so I could help students like me, people who not only wanted to write, but wanted to do so professionally. After I received my bachelor\u2019s degree, I went on to get my master\u2019s. That degree allowed me to teach college writing classes part time while I wrote. I did that for ten years, then I landed a full-time, tenure-track job teaching creative writing and composition. <\/em><\/p>\n

My teaching career has done more than provide a steady pay check and benefits, though. The act of teaching writing has taught me just as much about creating good writing as writing itself. The more I came to understand writing \u2013 what works, what doesn\u2019t, and how to help others become better writers \u2013 the better writer I became. And I\u2019m still learning.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong><\/em> You\u2019ve also had experience in journalism and editing. Did that contribute to the development of your approach to fiction in any positive way?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> I worked for a small-town weekly newspaper for a couple years in the mid-eighties, and that taught me to write to deadline, write fast, and write without second-guessing myself because there was no time to do it over. Back then, I wrote on a typewriter, not a computer, so there was almost no time for revision. I spend most of the week gathering information for stories, then I wrote them the day they were due to be typeset. Writing this way taught me focus, and how to write succinctly and to the point. There was no Internet as we know it today, so all my research consisted of interviewing people and gaining first-hand experience. It was a wonderful training ground for a writer.<\/em><\/p>\n

I worked as an editor of my college\u2019s literary magazine for a year, and after that, I did editing in my college\u2019s publications office, where I wrote and edited various promotional materials. I took these gigs because I thought working as an editor would help make me a better writer by giving me insight into what it was like to work on the other side of the editor\u2019s desk. Editors usually only ask me to do minor revisions of my fiction, and a number of them have remarked on how clean my copy is. I credit the experience I got from my editing gigs for this.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>Some writers put on very different hats, depending on the project at the time. I can\u2019t shift swiftly from Edwardian to contemporary, for example. You\u2019ve crossed different genres quite a bit in your books and stories. Do you consciously change your approach for each, or do you write as \u2018you\u2019 whatever the area, and see what comes out?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> I consciously change my approach when I write different types of stories, especially when I\u2019m writing a media tie-in novel. I\u2019m not going to write one of my original surreal horror novels the same way I\u2019m going write an adventure of Sam and Dean Winchester or the way I\u2019m going to novelize a script like Kingsman: the Golden Circle. For tie-ins, I work to capture the narrative style of the property. Writing tie-ins is similar to acting in some ways. You want to get the voice of the character just right. But at the same time, whatever comes out is still \u201cme,\u201d just another aspect of me. I find making the transition from one type of writing \u2013 say, pitch-black horror \u2013 to another \u2013 such as light-hearted adventure \u2013 to be a bit difficult at times. It can take me a few days to a couple weeks to get into the right mindset to start a new project. To help, I immerse myself in books and movies that are similar in content, tone, and style to the type of fiction I want to write, and that usually gets the job done.<\/em><\/p>\n

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John:<\/strong> <\/em>You were awarded a Stoker in 2016 for The Winter Box. Are there technical aspects of the writing \u2013 choice of style, voice, overall structure, etc – in that particular book which you feel made it stand up, and be received, so well?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> I think the concept \u2013 a couple haunted by the ghost of their dead marriage \u2013 was a big part of why the novella was well received. Whenever I write horror, I try to be innovative, to create new and different types of stories, and use different narrative approaches. I love the genre, and I do my best to add something worthy to it. Along with the concept of The Winter Box, I think the fact that the story delved deeply into the characters gave it a strong emotional core. And the motif of winter \u2013 snow, ice, cold \u2013 worked well to accentuate the conflict between the characters. I\u2019m glad The Winter Box worked for so many readers, and I\u2019m grateful that the members of the Horror Writers Association chose to acknowledge it.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong><\/em> Do you have a personal genre or sub-genre preference in which you would write, if you were free from any commercial considerations? Do you secretly yearn to be Agatha Christie or Tolstoy?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> While I enjoy writing tie-in novels, if money wasn\u2019t an issue, I\u2019d exclusively write surreal, nightmarish horror like in The Winter Box. Not only is horror my first love, but I consider those kind of stories my truest artistic expressions.<\/em><\/p>\n

Where Nightmares Come From<\/h3>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>OK, on to the new book \u2013 which should provide a wealth of information and viewpoints for other writers and critics. Your contribution to the book is entitled \u2018Horror is a State of Mind\u2019. Maybe I can start by asking you to tell us about what you cover in that, just a few clues.<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> The idea behind the article is that since we experience reality through the filter of our particular consciousness, knowing your character\u2019s consciousness \u2013 trying to experience the story from your character\u2019s perspective \u2013 will help you write more effective fiction.<\/em><\/p>\n

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John:<\/strong> <\/em>Should Where Nightmares Come From<\/em> be seen as a primer for new and mid-career writers, or do you see it more as a set of reflections to be dipped into?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> I\u2019d say it\u2019s a combination of both. Back when I was starting out, I got my hands on every book and article on writing horror that I could find, and whether it was a strict how-to approach or an interview with a writer talking about his or her craft, I always learned something from it. My hope is that people will have the same experience from this book.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong><\/em> When it comes to a volume like this with so many different contributors, have you had a chance to read any of the other sections? Or do you have to trust the editors that your contribution sits comfortably alongside the rest?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> With a book like this, you never get to read the other contributions until after it\u2019s been published, so you definitely have to trust the editors! But given the list of contributors, I feel confident the editors have covered a wide spectrum of horror writers and writing \u2013 and I\u2019m looking forward to reading it!<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>There are many networks \u2013 Internet, association based or localised by geography – for writers. Do you generally interact with other professional writers much to discuss matters of technique and style? How much \u2018shop talk\u2019 can you endure?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> As a teacher and mentor of writers, I spend a lot of time discussing aspects of writing, but that\u2019s not exactly shop talk since these writers aren\u2019t usually as experienced as I am. But when peers get together, we usually don\u2019t talk about matters of craft. We more often talk about the business side of writing \u2013 which editor is acquiring what kind of manuscripts for what publishers, etc. When I was first starting out, I heard it expressed like this: Beginning writers talk about characterization and exposition, more experienced writers talk about agents and editors, and old pros talk about their kids, health, and world events. At this point in my career, I\u2019m probably edging into the old pro category.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong><\/em> It’s talking about dogs, for me, but I agree. For others not so far down the line as you, what would you say are the key characteristics of the professional writer?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> Making writing a regular habit. Learning to improve from feedback. Learning what feedback to listen to and what feedback to set aside. Always trying to improve as a writer. Learning as much as you can about the business of writing \u2013 whether you want to publish traditionally, publish as an indie writer, or as a hybrid writer. Conducting yourself like a professional when interacting with others in person and online. Learning how to network. Learning how to be a contributing member of the writing community.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Teaching Creative Writing<\/h3>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>And I\u2019ll throw in an age-old question, given your role as an educator – is writing an art or a craft? I tend towards craft, but that\u2019s probably because I hack away at it every day.<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> It\u2019s both. Craft gives you techniques to express whatever ideas you wish to express, but it can\u2019t give you the ideas themselves. That\u2019s where the art comes in: having something to say in your work that\u2019s uniquely you, something that no one else in the world could ever say in the same way, something that adds to the overall field you\u2019re writing in. Craft can be taught, but Art needs to be nurtured, encouraged, and organically grown. This can be a natural process, one self-directed by a writer, or one guided by a teacher or mentor.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong><\/em> I have a thing about excessive adjectives. Stephen King (who is in the book) famously said \u201cThe road to hell is paved with adverbs.\u201d Any bugbears you\u2019d like to share, tremulously?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> Regarding adverbs, I tell my students that they\u2019re generally lazy, inefficient methods of communication. I ask any of them to show me \u201cangrily.\u201d They slam their fist onto their desk, shout, grind their teeth . . . and then I tell them that none of those actions is \u201cangrily.\u201d They\u2019re specific ways of demonstrating anger. It\u2019s always better to give readers a distinct image instead of using an adverb.<\/em><\/p>\n

Large chunks of unnecessary exposition bug me, as well as stories that have no focus, stories that wander all over the place without going anywhere. I really get irritated by characters \u2013 especially in horror \u2013 who don\u2019t have realistic reactions to events. I can\u2019t tell you how many student stories I\u2019ve read where a character is confronted by a threat, such as a ravenous monster running toward them, fangs bared, claws outstretched, and the character has no emotional reaction to it whatsoever. That drives me insane! It throws me right out of the world of the story.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>Obviously, you\u2019ve had a lot of experience of guiding early writers and suggesting, or exploring, approaches. When you teach creative writing, do you find that people come to classes\/groups with realistic expectations, or do they have some idealised view of being a writer?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> Beginning writers sometimes believe that \u201ccreative\u201d writing means free expression, and they\u2019re resistant to the idea that they need to learn specific techniques to make their stories effective for an audience. \u201cI didn\u2019t know this class was going to be work!\u201d A lot of beginning writers lack confidence in themselves and think everything they produce is crap. It may well be crap, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re doomed to write crap forever, but it can be hard to convince them of that. Some beginning writers believe that every word they write is golden and are highly resistant to making changes. A number of the graduate students I\u2019ve worked with were the worst offenders when it comes to refusing to make changes based on feedback. It puzzled the hell out of me. Why would someone pay thousands of dollars to enroll in a graduate program and then refuse to learn and grow from the experience?<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>Has anything that came up whilst you taught creative writing to others ever changed your mind about your own approach?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> I\u2019m sure there are thousands of things I\u2019ve learned through teaching that have changed my writing, probably in ways that I\u2019m not even aware of. The act of trying to figure out what a student is trying to do in a story, and then trying to figure out specific ways to help that student achieve his or her goals sharpens and clarifies your approach to your own fiction. In my case, the old saying \u201cthose who can\u2019t do, teach\u201d should be \u201cthose who teach learn to do better.\u201d I learn something new from every class I teach, every story I give feedback to, and every writer I mentor.<\/em><\/p>\n

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John:<\/strong><\/em> I write professionally, but I\u2019ve never taken a writing class, paid much attention to books on writing, had a mentor, or studied any aspect of the craft seriously. I don\u2019t take any pride in the fact \u2013 it simply happened that I honed what moderate abilities I have by writing, again and again. What would you say I might have missed out on?<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> Reading and writing a ton are always the best ways to grow as a writer. No one needs a class to do those things. But a good class or writers\u2019 group can provide a sense of community and make you feel like you\u2019re not alone. You can start building a support network of fellow writers, too. You get a chance to put your work before an audience and see what sort of response it gets. It helps make the concept of an audience concrete rather than abstract. Classes and how-to-write books can help give you different perspectives on your work, open you up to new possibilities, or simply provide you with some new tips and tricks to add to your writer\u2019s toolbox. Those are the positives.<\/em><\/p>\n

There are some potential negatives too. You might get bad advice from teachers and fellow students. A bad teacher can end up discouraging a student to the point where he or she stops writing altogether. Other beginning writers don\u2019t know any more than you do, so you can get a situation of the blind leading the blind. And a story that\u2019s been workshopped to death, that\u2019s been revised to please everyone in the class \u2013 teacher and students alike \u2013 can become bland, unremarkable, and likely end up unpublishable. If you want to take a class, find out as much about the teacher as you can. Does he or she write? Can you check out his or her work? Can you Google the teacher and find out what past students think of him or her? For how-to books, see if they\u2019re written by people who actually publish fiction. A lot of how-to\u2019s are written by people who\u2019ve published little or nothing. That\u2019s what\u2019s so great about Where Nightmares Come From. Everyone in it is a pro who practices what they preach.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong> <\/em>And as you\u2019re here, feel free to update us with anything new or forthcoming from you that people might like to know about.<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> My monsters-attack novel Teeth of the Sea is just out from Severed Press, my next story collection Dark and Distant Voices should be out in December from Nightscape Press, and my horror novel The Mouth of the Dark will come out from Flame Tree Press sometime next year.<\/em><\/p>\n

John:<\/strong><\/em> Many thanks for joining us, and may your writing prosper.<\/p>\n

Tim:<\/strong> You\u2019re welcome and thanks!<\/em><\/p>\n

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WHERE NIGHTMARES COME FROM<\/h2>\n

Full Table of Contents<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n